He was the second-born son of the politician Eleftherios Venizelos.During World War I, he served with distinction in the Hellenic Army and the initial phases of the Asia Minor campaign, reaching the rank of Captain of Infantry.

In 1941, after the Axis occupation of Greece, he became ambassador to the United States, representing the Greek government in exile based in Cairo.

In 1954, his longtime friendship with Georgios Papandreou was shaken, and he formed the rival Liberal Democratic Union [el] coalition.

Later, he boarded the passenger ship Hellas in the Aegean Sea, en route from Chania to Piraeus or Syros.

His funeral took place on Sunday February 9, in Chania, in the presence of Crown Prince Constantine (who represented the ailing King Paul), Prime Minister Ioannis Paraskevopoulos, Georgios Papandreou, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Spyros Markezinis, and Nicolas Kitsikis.